Who does Messiah Yeshua say he is?

Who is Yeshua? The simplest explanation is: He is YHWH's Divine Messiah - His "arm" (Isaiah 53:1; and the "Word" (John 1:1, 14) who came to remind God's people about who He (YHWH/Yahweh, the Father, The Creator) was and how He expects His people to behave in a lost and carnal world ... according to His Divine Instructions In Righteousness (Torah, the first five Books of the Bible that contain all of God's original do's and don'ts).

Yeshua (Jesus' given, Hebrew name which, in Hebrew means "Yahweh is Salvation") was the Word made flesh (John 1:14) ... in other words, made into a HUMAN with a Divine Nature (after all, YHWH was his "Father"!). Yeshua was "born" and "died" - something YHWH/GOD cannot do (or else, He wouldn't be "God")....

As you know, Messiah Yeshua was human just for a few short years before he martyred himself on our behalf to take away our PAST sins. Contrary to popular opinion, he was not a "sacrifice", because nobody "sacrificed" him! (Animal sin sacrifices were always "sacrificed" according to God's Rules; but Yeshua was a HUMAN, and God never demand "human sacrifices"...Furthermore, the Passover lambs were not "sacrificed" either. They were simply killed so that their blood could serve to redeem YHWH's people. Please read our blog article, The Passover Connection to Yeshua.

There is so much more to this. Please read on.

Let's back up a bit. First and foremost, we must realize that YHWH (Yahweh), our Creator, is indeed, ONE. He said so! Whenever we attempt to illustrate the concept of God to the atheists who write to our website, we like to compare the idea of Him to a fiber optic lamp with its myriad lights emanating from the ends of long, thin tubes. The lights appear ONLY because of the base that is powered by electricity.

Without the base, there would be no light. The Entity of YHWH is the "base" with His light emanating everywhere via whatever "form" He chooses. For instance, He revealed Himself to Moshe through a burning bush, to the Israelites as pillars of cloud and fire, and as "three men" to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre - and in a myriad other ways.

One of those Points of Light emanating from the base of fiber optics lamp mentioned above was Messiah Yeshua, whom YHWH sent to Earth as His Representative, to show mankind who God is and what He expects of His people, to teach His Torah and personally show His people how to properly obey it; and then to martyr himself as the Final SIN Offering, thus, providing those who accept YHWH as their God with a way to "start all over again" by repenting and changing their ways to comply with Torah Instructions - AFTER becoming "believers"....

Unlike any other form we've ever seen Yeshua was the ONLY one who had a Name - and it was YHWH's Name WITHIN His own Name! Even the names of the angels contain only "El" (MichaEL, GabriEL, RafaEL, etc); but Yeshua's Name means "YHWH is Salvation." Yeshua had a divine qnoma/Nature - in other words, He was "powered" by YHWH. Yeshua was NOT the Base of the lamp; he did NOT come to replace YHWH or to be "God" - rather, He was an "arm" of YHWH (Isaiah 53:1), doing his Father's will on earth:

Luke 4: 43 "But he (Yeshua/Jesus) said, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

Luke 8: 1. And it happened after these things that Y'shua was going around in the cities and in the villages and was preaching and declaring the Kingdom of Elohim.

Acts 28: 23 From morning till evening the Apostle Paul explained and declared the Kingdom of God and tried to convince people about Yeshua from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

In other words, one could say YHWH used the "form" of Messiah Yeshua to reveal the Nature of ELOHIM through a human vessel ... in a personal way that His people could understand with their limited, human mindsets.

On a more scholarly level, the YHWH/Yeshua relationship can be explained via the Aramaic word qnoma. Qnoma is a very important term that has been greatly diluted and misunderstood over the centuries. Through an exceedingly complex linguistic chain of events this word, meaning "an occurrence of a nature" got morphed and perverted into "person" in Greek. As a result, the One Elohim (YHWH) is represented in a pagan manner in the Greek New Testament as a "person" distinct and equal with "Elohim the Son" and "Elohim the Ruach haKodesh." Instead, it is the oneness of YHWH that manifests in Mashiyach, not that Mashiyach's divinity is separate from his Father's.

However, in this case we are talking about humanity and not YHWH, and both of them have "natures" that cannot be seen, and yet are a root part of their being. Or, to put it another way, a "nature" is like a body hidden behind a curtain. For those in the audience, nothing of that nature can be seen. Then, all of a sudden, a hand and part of an arm appears through the veil. While we know there is a body attached to that limb, the limb is all we see. Furthermore, that arm moves with full force, will and agreement of the mind that controls the body. For the viewers, the arm appearing out of the curtain is the qnoma (occurrence) and the hidden mind behind that limb's movement is its kyanna (nature)....

Throughout Scripture we see over and over again that YHWH is a "One-ness" in whatever "form" He presents Himself! Examples:

Deuteronomy 4: 39 ...know today, and establish it in your heart, that ADONAI is God in heaven above and on earth below - there is no other.

Isaiah 45: 5 I am ADONAI; there is no other; besides me there is no God.

The Bible goes on to tell us that Yeshua was the co-equal of ELOHIM (Philippians 2:6-11; John 10:22-39). The Bible does NOT tell us Yeshua was "partially divine" nor does it ever mention "two YHWHs".

Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; dominion will rest on his shoulders, and he will be given the name Pele-Yo'etz El Gibbor Avi-'Ad Sar-Shalom [Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace], 7 in order to extend the dominion and perpetuate the peace of the throne and kingdom of David, to secure it and sustain it through justice and righteousness henceforth and forever. The zeal of ADONAI-Tzva'ot will accomplish this. CJB

Micah 5: 2 But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y'hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra'el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times. CJB

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Colossians 2: 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.

Matthew 16:15-17: 15"But what about you?" he (Yeshua) asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Yeshua replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

John 10:30: I and the Father are One,

John 14:9: Whoever sees me sees the Father....

John 1 also tells us: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness not has suppressed it.

John 4:26: Then Yeshua declared, "I who speak to you am he."

John 17:1-3: After Yeshua said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: 2"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Yeshua Christ, whom you have sent. 4I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Matthew 1: 23...they shall call his name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US.

John 8: 24...if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

And take a look at this comment by Rav Shaul (Apostle Paul), who said Yeshua was seen by more than 500 people AFTER His death! Considering the discussion Rav Shaul just had about his followers not being spiritual babies, this is a very humbling statement! His point is, of course, that many people saw the risen Y'shua before him and, even more than that, countless others heard him speak face-to-face.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you from the first, as I had received it; that the Mashiyach died on account of our sins, as it is written: 4. And that he was buried and arose on the third day, as it is written: 5. And that he was seen by Keefa; and after him, by the twelve: 6. And after that, he was seen by more than five hundred Brothers at once; many of whom survive at the present time, and some of them sleep. 7. And subsequently to this, he was seen by Ya'akov; and after him, by all the Shlichim. 8. And last of them all, he was seen by me, as if I were an unborn fetus.

And take a look at this!

Philippians 2:5 And think you so in yourselves, as Y'shua the Mashiyach also thought; 6. who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim, did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim; 7. yet disinherited himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man; 8. and he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake. 9. Wherefore, also, Elohim has highly exalted him and given him a name which is more excellent than all names; 10. that at the name of Y'shua every knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and on earth and under the earth; 11. and very tongue will avow MarYah - that is, Yeshua the Messiah - to the glory of Elaha His Father. (AENT)

FOOTNOTE: More than his literal birth name Y'shua (which was and is a common Hebrew name), and more than the perfect reputation that his name represents. Y'shua bears the Name of YHWH, the "name above all names!" Y'shua has the Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means "YHWH is Salvation" (Matthew 1:21). (The angels, for instance, only have YHWH's title of ELOHIM within their names: GabriEL, MichaEL, RaphaEL....)

Colossians 1: 15. who is the likeness of the invisible Elohim and the first-born of all creatures: 16. and by him was created everything that is in heaven and on earth, all that is visible and all that is invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; everything was through him and was created by him:(1) 17. and he was prior to all, and by him every thing exists. 18. And he is the head of the body the Assembly; as he is the head and first-born from among the dead, that he might be the first in all things. 19. For it pleased (the Father) that in him all fullness should dwell; 20. and by him, to reconcile all things to himself; and through him he has pacified, with the blood of his stake, both (those) on earth and those in heaven.(2) (AENT)

Footnote: The literal Aramaic reading is "by him," whereas Greek and English texts have "for him." Mashiyach is the creative Word through which everything was made (Psalm 33:6, John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-5). The common Aramaic idiom here and in John is "through his hands" meaning as the Word, Mashiyach crafted all things according to YHWH's blueprints. Mashiyach Yeshua emerges as the Word from YHWH's breath and command and, as such, was with Him in the beginning (John 17:1-11).

1 Timothy 3: 16. and truly great, is this mystery of righteousness which was revealed in the flesh and righteous in the spirit, and seen by Messengers, and proclaimed among the Gentiles, and believed on in the world, and received up into glory. (AENT)

Yeshua is never called "our Father" in the "New Testament" although he is called "Everlasting father" in Isaiah 9:6. In the New Covenant, Yeshua always appears beside the Father or with the Father. This does not compromise the dual truth that Yeshua is divine, having the nature, character, mission and capacity of God in every respect (as Yeshua is part of YHWH because he is his "arm" (Isaiah 53:1). Paul constantly demonstrates this principle (Romans 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2:16, Philemon 1:3).

There is both equality and hierarchy between Yeshua and the Father. (John 10:24, 14:28, 1 Corinthians 11:3). The subordination of a faithful messenger has a major part in the role of the Messiah and his Father. (Phillipians 2:6-11, Hebrews 5:8, Colossians 1:19, 2:9).

And yes, YHWH and Yeshua are NOT part of a "trinity"; YHWH is ONE, as declared in the Sh'ma (Deuteronomy 6:4). "Church founders" such as Ignatius(35-107 CE), Marcion (110-160 AD) and Tertullian who coined the word "trinity" (155-230 CE) were instrumental in tweaking the Scriptures and inserting their own opinions - which, of course, were swallowed by "the world" as "true Gospel" which sought to free the Church from "false Jewish doctrines":

Yeshua is foreshadowed throughout the Tanach, especially in Isaiah 53, and also in every one of the Biblical Feasts. We're also told that Yeshua the Messiah is both deity and human; the "seed of a woman" as promised in Genesis 3:15; and his virgin birth was to be a sign to Israel of his Messiahship. Plus, He has fulfilled at least 300 prophecies....

Messiah Yeshua performed many miracles, including turning water into wine, raising the dead, walking on water, etc. He came to earth to represent God the Father, to teach us how to worship Him, to teach us how to treat each other, and to be our final sin sacrifice. He willingly went to the cross, and then He bodily resurrected and ascended, and the Bible tells us He would return in the future to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

Yeshua Himself made some startling predictions concerning His future on earth: Matthew 16:21 says From that time Yeshua began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

He again makes a sweeping statement in John 2:19 "Destroy this Temple and in three days I WILL RAISE IT UP!" Verse 21: But he was speaking of the temple of his body.

Let's take a look at some of the other claims Yeshua makes:

Does this sound as if Yeshua viewed himself as "just a mere man"?

  • "No man has ascended up to Heaven but HE THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN EVEN THE SON OF MAN WHICH IS IN HEAVEN" - John 3:13
  • "Whosoever drinks of the Water that I shall give him .. it shall be in him a well of water springing up into Everlasting Life". - John 4:14
  • "All men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father." - John 5:23
  • "Search the Scriptures (OT) ...for they are they which testify of ME." - John 5:39
  • "I am the Bread of Life ...." - John 6:35
  • "For I CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN ..." - John 6:38
  • "What if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up WHERE HE WAS BEFORE?" - John 6:62
  • "I am the Light of the World ..." - John 8:12
  • "You are from beneath, I am FROM ABOVE - I am not of this world." - John 8:23
  • "Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it and was glad ... Verily, verily I say unto you: Before Abraham was, I AM." - John 8:56-59
  • "I am the Door. By Me, if any man enters in, he shall be saved. ..." - John 10:7
  • "I am the Good Shepherd." - John 10:11
  • "No man takes (My Life) from Me. I lay it down OF MYSELF. I have Power to lay it down AND I HAVE POWER TO TAKE IT UP AGAIN!" - John 10:18
  • "I and My Father ARE ONE." - John 10:30
  • "I am the Resurrection and the Life." - John 11:25
  • "And if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." - John 12:32
  • "You call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am." - John 13:13
  • "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." - John 14:6
  • "If you had known Me, You would have known My Father also: and from henceforth you Know Him and HAVE SEEN HIM." - John 14:7
  • "Don't you believe that I AM IN THE FATHER and the Father is in Me?" - John 14:10,11
  • "And whatsoever you shall ask in My Name, that will I DO." - John 14:13
  • "In that Day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me and I IN YOU". - John 14:20 (as the Holy Spirit. Hebrew: Ruach HaKodesh)
  • "I came forth from the Father and came into the world; again I leave this world and go to the Father." - John 16:28
  • "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" - Revelation 1:8
  • "I am the First and the Last" - Revelation 1:11 & 18 and 22:13
  • "And he that overcomes and keeps MY WORKS unto the End, to him will I GIVE POWER over the nations to rule them with a rod of iron ..." - Revelation 2:26
  • "To him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with Me in MY THRONE ...." - Revelation 3:21

If Yeshua (as the Son with a divine Nature) is not a Divine Messiah, as some people allege, then why did he, like YHWH in the Tanach, call himself the "Alpha and Omega", "the First and the Last"? How can there be TWO "Alphas and Omegas"? (Remember, an "arm" is a part of the body!) Take a look:

Isaiah 44:6 - "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.

Revelation 1:8 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelation 21:6 - Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

Revelation 22:12-16: (Stern's Complete Jewish Bible) 12 "Pay attention!" says Yeshua. "I am coming soon, and my rewards are with me to give to each person according to what he has done. 13 I am the 'A' and the 'Z', the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." 14 How blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to eat from the Tree of Life and go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are the homosexuals, those who misues drugs in connection with the occult, the sexually immoral, murderers, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 "I, Yeshua, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the Messianic communities. I am the Root and Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.

What you have read above is part of the reason Yeshua was nailed to the stake: He dared to compare Himself to YHWH, while at the same time submitting to Him! He never said he WAS YHWH; but he knew he was YHWH's Divine Messiah! Unlike any other rabbi before or since, he taught with the authority of someone who was on equal footing with the Father! He was a human with a Divine qnoma, YHWH's SON, sent to earth by the Father in order to allow man to be better able to relate to God, and then to martyr Himself as our substitution.

It is imperative to recognize the fact that GOD cannot be born or die; but His Son whose body was human and whose Nature was Divine, could! How merciful that YHWH cared enough about His wayward human creation to send His SON to earth to teach us about Himself and His Kingdom, and then to martyr himself to become our substitution so that we might have eternal life merely because we believe in our hearts that Yeshua was who he said he was!